Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus and methods for processing semiconductor substrates. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus and methods for improving symmetry in electrical field, gas flow and thermal distribution in a processing chamber to achieve process uniformity.
Description of the Related Art
Conventional semiconductor processing chambers, such as plasma etch chambers, may have off-set pump design with a substrate support and a plasma/gas source aligned along one axis and a turbo pump aligned along a different axis to provide accommodation of and facilitate access to all the chamber components. However, the off-set pump design is inherently non-symmetrical which may cause non-uniformity across the substrate being processed and cause particle problems because by-products from processing may be efficiently pumped out from all surfaces of the substrate and the processing chamber.
Therefore, there is a need for a processing chamber that enables symmetric flow.